Wednesday, 30 April 2014

The One Where We Go For An Eye Test

Back in January I told you all about Leo’s Two and half year check. It was an experience that I really didn't enjoy and came away feeling
incredibly rubbish about. Our health visitor turned the entire appointment into
a complete song and dance, she insisted on seeing Leo two months later so that
she could follow up and check on his progress.

During the appointment she decided that Leo had a squint and
was going to be booking a separate appointment for him, that would come through
a few weeks later. She wanted to get Leo seen as soon as possible so that
treatment could commence if needed, she didn't want him waiting around if he
did have one. We got to the end of March and I still had not received the
promised appointment through and there had been complete radio silence from our
health visitor.

I tried to call her myself on numerous occasions and finally
left her a voice mail asking her to give me a call back. I wanted to discuss Leo
and get the follow up that she had advised, and also get Leo’s appointment for
his eye sorted just to air on the side of caution.

I never did get a call back from our health visitor, and
this has gone on to annoy me further. However the date I left the voice mail obviously spurred her into finally booking Leo’s eye exam, even though she
still didn't call me back. A week later I received a letter from the surgery with
a date to take Leo in, and ironically the letter was dated 27th
March 2014, the day I called and left the message.

I can’t help feeling really let down by our health visitor,
what if Leo had actually had a squint? What if she had prolonged the necessary
treatment? What if Leo had been a child who had other problems? What if he was
being abused? Would she still have been so slack?

On Wednesday 23rd March I took Leo along to have
his eyes examined. We walked into the room and Leo instantly spied a Thomas
train. We took our seats and the lady we were visiting got Leo to co-operate
with her tests. She shone a little light in his eyes and got him to follow it
with his eyes. She used toys to get his attention and was really fantastic with
him.

The doctor asked me what I thought, and I personally knew
that Leo did not have a squint, but not being a professional I wanted to make sure
that my gut feeling was right. My thoughts were confirmed seconds later and she
agreed that Leo’s eyes were perfectly fine.

The appointment lasted no longer than 10 minutes, we were in
and out. Leo had been fantastic and I was really pleased with the doctor that
we had seen.

The health visitor still hasn't followed up with us, she hasn't contacted us to arrange for Leo to come in as promised. The appointment
that she wanted to schedule with us was for Leo to come back in and repeat his
check-up. Then if she still wasn't happy, she was going to refer Leo for speech
therapy. Since January Leo has come on in leaps and bounds, and I want her to
see this. I do think he would benefit from speech therapy, and I want her to
pull her finger out and do what she promised.

The health visitor has booked us in for a hearing test on
Wednesday 7th May, this is something I personally asked for during
the check up in January. I wanted to rule out Glue Ear and make sure he was
hearing everything as he should. The health visitor told me that this would
happen if he was referred, and that it wouldn't be happening now. But all of a
sudden we have an appointment through… I am pleased just to get it checked and
ticked off, as Leo can quite obviously hear everything but it’s just nice to
confirm.

As for our health visitor, I have lost a lot of faith in
her. She hasn't followed through with her promises, she hasn't communicated
with us and she hasn't been efficient. From now on I will be doing everything
through nursery. They will be doing their own check with him in the next few
months. I feel they are in a better position to tell me what he will benefit
from as they know him and see him in a setting he is familiar and comfortable
in.

We will be getting Leo’s hearing checked and my gut instinct
is telling me that he will fly through it. My personal opinion is that Leo has
just been slower in talking than other kids his age, and as expected, he is
getting there in his own time.